Popular TreesSelect the right ornamental or fruit-bearing tree for your garden
Show Time ™ crabapple . exposure : Proven Winners .
If you ’re count for a succinct , versatile tree that provides interest group nearly class - round , you ca n’t do much better than the crabapple . In increase to dazzling you with breathtaking bud and blossoms in give , crabapple are also giving foliage plants in summer and fall , and bring home the bacon big displays of yield that loiter on the limb well into wintertime . What ’s more , they amount in a range of sizes and kind ( most no taller than 20 fundament ) to hold about any blank restraint .
There are hundreds of crabapple variety , but those have here are particularly gardenworthy , bred for superior flowering , good fall leaf colour , and attractive yield . Even better , they fend orchard apple tree scab and other common diseases that have beset crabapples in the past tense , make them reliable performing artist yr after twelvemonth .
2025 National Tree of the twelvemonth : Show Time ™ crabapplefrom Proven Winners .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care & Pruning|Pictures|Design Tips|Frequently Asked Questions
CRABAPPLE BASICS
Botanical name:
genus Malus
Zones:
4 - 8
Size:
Most grow 15 to 20 feet magniloquent and blanket . There are also dwarf and semi - dwarf varieties that grade in tallness from under 5 groundwork to 10 feet .
Forms:
May be round , unfold , columniform , vase - shape , or weeping , depending on the cultivar .
Exposure:
Full sun , minimal 6 hour per 24-hour interval .
Bloom Time:
Mid to late give , with the length of bloom ranging from 1 to 2 workweek .
Flowers:
Single , semi - double or full double in white , pink , Battle of Magenta , or red . Very fragrant . Many varieties have darker buds that lighten in color as the peak get hold of full flower .
Foliage:
ordinarily greenish , but some varieties have foliation with majestic , reddish , or bronze flavor . Fall leaf color may be orangish , ruby-red , gold , or bronze , depending on the cultivar .
Fruit:
Ripens from late summertime to mid - fall and often clingstone to the branches through winter . Usually the yield is red , resemble small cherries , but some cultivars produce xanthous , maroon , or orange fruit .
Growth rate:
Moderate
PLANTING CRABAPPLE TREES
Crabapple tree yield . Photo by : Proven Winners .
When to plant:
The best meter to plant a crabapple tree is in the spring or fall , when the ground is moist and temperatures are cool . ( SeeWhat to Plant in Your Fall Garden ) . However , if you avoid freezing temperatures and utmost heat , you’re able to engraft a crabapple almost any time of year .
Where to plant:
crabapple thrive in full sun but do n’t wish red-hot conditions , preferring climates with temperate summers and cold winters . They accommodate to most soil conditions , as long as they are planted in well - drained dirt . To head off foliar disease , flora in a location that offer full air circulation .
How to plant:
CRABAPPLE TREE CARE & PRUNING
Watering:
The first class after planting , provide supplemental lachrymation during teetotal weather condition so the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree receive at least 1 inch of weewee per week and up to 2 in during live spells . After the root word become established , you will only need to water during keep up wry period . To cut tearing relative frequency , go for a few inches of mulch around the understructure of the tree diagram ( but not touching the trunk ) to help keep grease moisture .
Amendments & Fertilizer:
If planted in good , moderately fertile filth , wild apple usually do n’t demand superfluous fertilization . However , if you note poor blooming and fruit yield , you’re able to improve soil fertility by top fertilisation with compost in the springiness or by applying a slow - release fertilizer before new growth come forth .
Pruning:
Occasional pruning will assist keep wild apple tree diagram healthy and conserve their adorable silhouettes . Crabapples are particularly prone to urine sprout ( shoots that grow up from tree diagram branch ) and sucker that take form at the base of the tree , which can uprise large enough to become extra tree trunk . These maturation should be removed , along with any dead , diseased , or crowded subdivision .
Pruning is well done in late winter or before bloom in early spring . avert over - pruning . Trees call for time to form callus over a lesion , so it ’s good to remove only the arm that need it . Get more pruning advice : Pruning a Crabapple Tree .
Diseases:
Apple strikebreaker , cedar tree apple rust , firing blight , andpowdery mildeware the most common diseases to afflict crabapples , particularly non - repellent diversity . Apple scab - a fungal disease that often grow in coolheaded , wet springs - is the most serious problem and can cause leaf spotting and defoliation . These can be avoided by planting newer cultivar breed to resist these disease and by supercede disease - prone trees with resistive varieties . Any branches that become defoliated due to disease usually flick back out the following natural spring .
CRABAPPLE PICTURES
exposure by : Proven Winners .
Lollipop ® —Find a local retailerMalusx
Zones:4 - 8
Height / Spread : Up to 8 human foot magniloquent and wide
class : Rounded
colour : White peak ; shining ruby fruit
Very symmetric and ball - shape ( just like a ice lolly ! ) . heavyset size makes it a perfect choice for smaller formal gardens .
Show Time ™ —Find a local retailerMalusx
Height / Spread : Up to 25 feet tall ; 15 to 20 feet wide
Form : Pyramidal
colour : Fuchsia flowers , cherry red red fruit
A heavy botch , with especially large fuchsia - crimson bloom . gloomy reddish - gullible foliage turns orange and bronzy bolshy in fall .
2025 Tree of the Year
Photo by : Zydree / Shutterstock .
PrairifireMalus’Prairifire '
Height / Spread:15 to 20 feet tall and wide
Color : Deep pinkish - ruddy peak , purplish - red yield
Battle of Magenta - pink , intimately ruby-red bloom pop against purplish - tinged leaf in spring . In drop , the leaves turn a fiery orange , creating a spectacular contrast with the dark red crab apple .
Photo by : Paul S Drobot / Millette Photomedia .
ProfusionMalus’Profusion '
kind : Rounded , slightly spread
Color : Violet - red flowers , maroon yield
Named for its profuse salad days and fruit yield . leaf changes color from reddish purple when vernal , fading to bronze when ripe , and in the end mellow out to golden amber in capitulation .
Photo by : Bertrand Dumont / Millette Photomedia .
RobinsonMalus’Robinson '
Height / Spread : Up to 25 feet marvellous and wide
colouring material : Reddish - pinkish flowers , red yield
Puts on an impressive display of deep red buds and reddish - pinkish flowers in early spring . Attractive ellipse leave are purple when vernal and turn bronzy green with red veining as they mature . A beautiful specimen or shade tree .
pic by : BlackFarm / Shutterstock .
Royal Raindrops ® Malus’JFS - KW5 '
Height / Spread:15 to 20 foot marvelous , 10 to 15 feet wide
conformation : Upright rounded to vase shaped
Color : Magenta - pink flowers , maroon - red yield
photograph by : Ellen McKnight / Shutterstock .
Donald WymanMalus’Donald Wyman '
Height / Spread:15 to 20 feet tall , up to 24 feet wide
Color : White blossom , hopeful red fruit
A honest , disease - insubordinate cultivar with attractive shining - light-green foliage that turns Au in fall . The fruit is among the most imperishable of all the crabapples , offer gracious wintertime pastime .
Photo by : ristovicmilosh / Shutterstock .
Prairie RoseMalus ioensis’Prairie Rose '
Height / Spread:15 to 20 feet marvelous , 12 to 18 feet wide
Color : Deep pink flowers
tumid , abundant double pinkish flower resemble rosebud when they come forth in springtime . This futile cross is sodding for nurseryman who desire beautiful efflorescence but do n’t want to nark clean up the fallen fruit .
LouisaMalus’Louisa '
Height / Spread:10 to 12 feet tall , up to 15 feet wide-eyed
Form : weep
colour : pinkish flowers , yellow fruit
This elegant umbrella - mold weeping Cancer the Crab bear red bud that open to cascade of soft pinkish peak , followed by endearing flush - tinged yellow yield . Sought after for its graceful form and glossy , dark dark-green foliage .
TinaMalus sargentii’Tina '
Height / Spread:4 to 5 feet marvelous , 5 to 6 foot blanket
Form : downhearted and spread , with drooping branches
The humble of the Sargent wild apple ( a midget metal money ) , with sensational dark pinkish bud that give way to petite white-hot flowers and tiny pea plant - sized fruit . A pop selection for Asian gardens .
DESIGN TIPS
Because crabapple trees arrive in an regalia of size , growth habit , and flower colors , they are suited for a wide range of lotion . Here are some ideas for using them in the garden :
Keep in mind that the yield of crabapple tree can stain walkways or patios . To fend off that trouble , choose a non - fruiting cultivar , such as ‘ Prairie Rose ’ .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are wild apple tree diagram bear on to apple trees?Yes . Both trees share the same genus ( Malus ) and many of the same characteristics . However , a crabapple has smaller , tarter fruit , ranging in size from ¼ column inch to 2 inches in diam .
Do all crabapples bear fruit?While most flowering crabapples recrudesce fruit , there are some “ non - fruiting ” cultivars that raise very belittled fruit or none at all .
Is the fruit edible?Unlike Malus pumila , most crabapples are too tart and lip - puckering to be eaten out of hand , but they are perfectly edible and often used to make jams and jellies . In winter , they are a peachy source of nutrient for many types of snort and other wildlife . In general , the smaller the fruit , the more saturnine the taste .
Why is n’t my crab apple tree blooming?Some crabapples are alternate flowering , meaning they will flower heavily one year and sparsely or not at all the next . Older trees that are past their prime may also stop bloom every year . deficiency of enough sunlight can also lead in few or no flowers .
